The Christmas Truce
by AuroreMoriarty
Summary: Neville, on his fifth year, is the only member of the Army of Dumbledore to stay at school for Christmas and decides to pratice his spells in the Snowy park when Draco Malfoy arrives and stays to help him. Could have he been wrong about the Slytherin?


The sun was shining, yet not enough to warm the cold air, and a thick coat of snow covered the ground on this first day of the Christmas holiday. Neville Longbottom, in his fifth year, was sitting by fire in the common room, reading one of his books about herbology – his favourite subject. The Gryffindor Tower was almost empty as most of the students went back home for Christmas the day before, and among those, Neville's friends Harry, Ron, Hermione and nearly every member of the Army of Dumbledore. As for him, he would leave Hogwarts the day after Christmas, because his grandmother had an important appointment and could not pick him up at the station. It was the first he would spend Christmas without his family and he was rather sad. He looked up from his book to cast a glance by the window. The park was beautiful covered with snow, it seemed so quiet, so calm that he decided to leave the warmth and the comfort of the room to go for a walk. He wrapped up warmly with his gold and red scarf, gloves and hat, took his wand – he did not like to leave with it in his pocket – and walked towards the portrait.

The stairs and the hallways were cold and empty. Surely, the few students left on the castle should have stayed in their common room or in the library. When he walked along the Great Hall to reach the front door, he saw out of the corner of his eyes that some students were in the room, eating some candies and drinking hot beverages. He fixed his scarf, prepared to face the cold air.

He walked slowly and in silent until he had reached the bank of the lake and stared at the dark water. He let his mind wander and one thought leading to another, he started to worry about his lack of ability to cast the Banishing Charm. He brought his wand out of his pocket and started practicing the spell in the air in front of him. He was so focus that he did not hear footsteps squeaked on the snow.

"Well, well, Longbottom! Are you practicing magic?" asked a drawling voice. Neville turned around quickly, hid his wand behind his back, and found himself in front of Draco Malfoy. The pale boy had a smirk on his face.

"No I wasn't.

You're a bad liar, Longbottom. I heard you from the other side of the park, you're so discreet..."

Neville looked down and bite his lips. He felt so dumb. He could have been to the Requirement room. He should have been there. Now, not only Malfoy would make fun of him – which was no new to him – and he would also tell Umbrige and he would be in trouble. He tried to quickly go back to the castle and he had only taken five steps when, while walking next to Malfoy, he felt a hand on his arm. He turned around, confused.

"Come on, don't run. Obviously you need practice….And I need a good laugh.

Is it one of your tricky game?

No. I promise I won't tell anyone.

Why? Why would you do that?

It's Christmas", he answered with a shrug.

Neville gave up fighting and went back to the lake. He rose his wand, focused and said _depulso._

"You're seriously practicing the Banashing charm on thin air?" Malfoy said with a smirk and raised eyebrows before covering his eyes with his hand.

There it was. Draco Malfoy was making fun of him, again. Neville cursed himself for his own stupidity, looked down and gritted his teeth, both trying not to cry or hit Draco.

At his almost surprise, Draco kneeled and started playing with the snow. "Bloody idiot, won't you come to help me?" Neville walked to him and kneeled by his side.

"There, you have something to aim" said Draco as he put the head on the snowman.

Neville stepped backwards to his former place – which was marked by the footsteps in the snow -, turned to the snowman and Draco, aimed and shyly said _depulso_. The snowman did not move an inch. Behind the heap of snow, Neville saw Draco sighed and drew his own wand.

"You have to be firm and confident. You're not asking it to move, you order it to move. Like this. Depulso!" And the snowman, between the two boys, crossed one foot towards the Gryffindor. "Your turn, now".

Neville raised his wand, took a deep breath and repeat the spell, with more confidence this time. The snowman shivered and moved an inch or so. "Better. Try again." _Depulso_. It moved an inch again. _Depulso_. Another inch. _Depulso!_ An inch again.

Draco came to him and stood next to him, their shoulders almost touched. "Hold your wand like that, you'll have my power. Then, move it like this." And he did a sweep of his wand. The snowman moved back to his first place. Neville wrapped his fingers around his wand like Draco's ones around his, and tried to do the same movement.

"Not like that." Draco slipped behind him, his chest against the right side of his back, placed Neville's fingers around the wand. Still standing behind him, he handed his arm next to Neville's and held the back of his hand. Neville blushed of embarrassment. With Draco leading him, he finally backed the snowman up. At the corner of his eyes, he saw the Slytherin smile. His smile was beautiful. He never noticed how the boy's eyes were soothing. Whilst Neville succeeded, Draco did not move. He was so close, Neville could feel his breath in his neck. And he smelt like earl grey, leather and shampoo. For a second, Neville lost control of himself, leant towards the other boy and softly deposited his lips upon Draco's. When he realized what he did, his eyes grew wider and he ran away. Just before stepping inside the castle, he gave a look back to the lake: Draco had not moved.

Back in the Gryffindor tower, Neville sat down in an armchair in front of the fireplace, stared into space. He could not stop to think about Malfoy: the soften of his hand, his perfume, his blue eyes, his charming smile, and his soft lips that tasted like apples... He could not relay on his mind to help him forget the event, to calm the tempest inside his chest. He picked up a book and tried to read but he was not able to focus long enough to read a sentence. Angry, he casted the banashing charm on the book which flight across the room. He could see Malfoy's smile again and turned red.

That evening, when Neville arrived in the Great Hall, he saw that the four tables gave place to one huge table and that the few students left from the each houses were sitting together. A quick look around informed him that Draco was not there. Maybe was not he hungry? Maybe was he avoiding him? He felt as the same time relieved and disappointed. He did not know what he had expected, what he wanted. He finally sat down next to a third year Hufflepuff he had never talked too.

He had started to eat when he saw a pale blonde guy sitting next to him. His heart jumped in his chest, he blushed whilst pretending that Draco Malfoy was not there. On the other hand, Draco did everything in his power to remember Neville his presence: he brushed against his hand while pretending to pick up with knife, leaned over Neville's plate more than once to pick up plates, or talking loudly to some other Slytherin. As soon as he finished his plate, Neville stood up and left the Great Hall. In the hallway, he heard footsteps behind him before "Longbottom!" shouted. He tried to ignore Draco but the last was fast. He reached him, took him by the hand and leaded him.

"Draco...

\- Hush. We'll be noticed"

They arrived in a dark corner, near the Slytherins' donjon. Draco looked behind them before pushing Neville in the corner. Neville thought that he was going to shout at him or to jinx him. Though, he noticed that he had not let his hand go. Draco looked at him in the eyes and stepped closer and closer to him. Soon they were chest against chest. Neville blushed under his glaze, yet Draco did not bat an eye. He approached his face to Neville's, their noses touching, then stopped, looking at his lips, before saying: "Wanna keep a secret?" And before Neville could answer, he kissed him. "I like you, Longbottom". And he kissed him passionately.


End file.
